The joint clinical practice group agreement covers Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Washington, Waukesha, Racine, Kenosha and Walworth counties and includes more than 30 community clinics operated by both organizations. In fiscal 2012, more than 250 physicians practiced at these clinics and combined patient visits exceeded 710,000.

Froedtert Health CEO and president Catherine Jacobson said the agreement will bring the Froedtert Health primary care and specialty physicians from a community setting into an integrated-practice model. The integrated practice will be linked to Meducak College physicians practicing on the academic medical center campus in Wauwatosa and in the community.

"Froedtert Health and MCW have been discussing ways to create an enduring economically, operationally and clinically aligned approach to providing care in the community," Jacobson said. "This new structure aims at achieving a high performing off-campus patient care model to deliver value across the continuum of care, including enabling easy connections to the academic medical center as needed."

Medical College president and CEO Dr. John Raymond said the two organization will clinically integrate , sharing electronic-health-record and evidence-based medical protocols.

Dr. Mark Lodes was named president of Froedtert & The Medical College Community Physicians. He currently is chief medical officer of the Froedtert & The Medical College Clinical Ventures Group.

Froedtert Health includes Froedtert Hospital, Community Memorial Hospital, St. Joseph's Hospital in West Bend and Froedtert Health Clinics.

The Medical College's 1,350 faculty and staff physicians, under the name the Medical College Physicians and the Children's Specialty Group, comprise the largest group practice in the Wisconsin. Froedtert Hospital is a major teaching hospital affiliate of the Medical College.